Sofia, July 17 (BTA/GNA) – Energy Minister Rumen Radev commented in a bTV interview that it is being considered that part of the steam generators for the Belene NPP reactors be used in the 6th Unit of the Kozloduy NPP. The National Electric Company is expected to provide adequate, professional, independent expertise and evaluation of the equipment for the Belene NPP, added Radev.
By a decision of the National Assembly, the Minister of Energy was assigned to start negotiations with his Ukrainian counterpart for the sale of the equipment intended for the Belene NPP project, with a price not lower than the one this country paid for it, or BGN 1.2 billion. The first working meeting between representatives of Bulgaria and Ukraine took place, based on the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of energy between the two countries, which was signed during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Sofia.
“At the moment, Bulgargaz is working with a leading law firm, they continue to work on texts, possible scenarios,” Minister Radev said in response to a question as to why Bulgaria is not yet among the countries that filed for arbitration proceedings against Gazprom due to the suspension of gas supplies. Among the issues in connection to that, is the fact that Bulgaria’s Bulgartransgaz is the operator of a significant gas infrastructure, through which significant flows of Russian gas pass through, supplying neighbouring countries.
Minister Radev also said that there is enough data supporting exploratory drilling in one of the deposits in Block 1-21 Khan Asparuh in the Black Sea, with a potential of 5 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. This is also the recommendation of the consortium, including the companies Total and OMV, which conducted the studies. It is expected that a proposal will be submitted to the Energy Committee of the National Assembly to include Bulgaria, in the person of the Bulgarian Energy Holding, as a partner in the consortium.
The Minister of Energy also commented on the topic of increased electricity prices for household consumers. He said that significant efforts have been made to maintain growth and for people to continue to pay a significantly lower price than non-household consumers, among whom are not only companies, but also schools, community centres, hospitals, kindergartens.
BTA/GNA